


Celestial Theology

by catie_writes_things



Category: Captain America (Movies), Daredevil (TV), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: AU: Matt Murdock is a priest, Alternate Universe, Catholic, Gen, Religion
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-27
Updated: 2015-04-27
Packaged: 2018-03-25 23:47:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 699
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3829384
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/catie_writes_things/pseuds/catie_writes_things
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Steve took another sip of his coffee, then fidgeted with the handle of the mug for a moment. “Though that does remind me of something I’ve been wondering about - the part about the aliens, I mean.”</p><p>“Wouldn’t that be a question for your SHIELD scientists?”</p><p>Steve laughed. “Maybe I’ll ask them, too. But what I’ve been wondering is - how do aliens fit in with everything? With what we believe?”</p><p>“You mean,” said Father Murdock, folding his hands around his own mug, “what part do aliens play in God’s plan?”</p>
            </blockquote>





	Celestial Theology

**Author's Note:**

> Prompted on Tumblr. This story is set in [an alternate universe where Matt Murdock is a Catholic priest](http://catie-does-things.tumblr.com/tagged/father-murdock-au). This is the first fanfic that has ever required me to consult both the MCU Wiki and the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

Steve hadn’t been to Mass at St. Lucy’s in a while - when he was in Manhattan, he preferred to go to Holy Innocents. But he still made a point to stop by to talk with Father Murdock whenever he got the chance. The blind priest had helped him immensely with the adjustment to the 21st century, and though he had never outright admitted it, there was an understanding between them that they were in fact in the same line of work, so to speak. Plus, the rectory at St. Lucy’s had an excellent coffee maker.

Their topics of discussion could range from serious theological issues to baseball - Father Murdock was a Mets fan. On that particular afternoon, the conversation had been more lighthearted.

“Well, Father,” Steve found himself joking at one point, “You and I have both experienced too much not to believe in miracles.”

Father Murdock grinned and began counting off on his fingers: “Well, there’s the resurrection of a long-dead superhero, the salvation of the earth from an alien invasion, the toppling of an evil organization bent on the ruin of mankind…”

“The blind being able to see,” Steve added.

“I have no idea what you mean by that,” Father Murdock said with an air of perfect innocence.

“Sure, Father.” Steve took another sip of his coffee, then fidgeted with the handle of the mug for a moment. “Though that does remind me of something I’ve been wondering about - the part about the aliens, I mean.”

“Wouldn’t that be a question for your SHIELD scientists?”

Steve laughed. “Maybe I’ll ask them, too. But what I’ve been wondering is - how do aliens fit in with everything? With what we believe?”

“You mean,” said Father Murdock, folding his hands around his own mug, “what part do aliens play in God’s plan?”

“Well, yeah.”

“About the same role as anyone else, I think.”

Steve considered that answer, and the priest must have been able to tell from his silence that he was unsatisfied.

“Look at it this way,” he continued. “We believe that God created all things, right?”

“Visible and invisible,” Steve quoted in response.

“Right,” Father Murdock said with another grin. “So aliens - Chitauri or Asgardian or anything else - must be God’s creatures, just as much as we are. And God can use them in any number of ways, just like he does with his creatures here on earth.”

“So aliens are just really exotic animals, then?”

This time it was Father Murdock who was silent for a moment. “I don’t know,” he said at last. “I don’t personally know many aliens, so it’s hard for me to say. But something tells me that’s not the case, at least not for all of them.”

“But how would you know?” Steve asked insistently. Father Murdock was fortunately used to his persistent questions, and answered with patience.

“We humans have always distinguished ourselves from animals based on our ability to reason, or our ability to love. In the Christian tradition, we would say it’s our ability to know and love God that sets us apart. So any alien who demonstrated those qualities, it would seem, would have to be considered equal in dignity with mankind.”

“So if an alien - let’s say someone from Asgard,” Steve wondered out loud, “If they wanted to be Catholic, they could?”

“Are you asking for a friend?”

It took Steve a moment to realize who the priest was referring to, but then he laughed. “No, Father,” he said. “This is just hypothetical.”

“Well then, hypothetically, if your Asgardian friend wanted to be baptized into the Church, I don’t see why he couldn’t be.”

Steve thought this over. “I guess,” he said, “that’s what Jesus meant when he said to make disciples of _all_ the nations.”

“That’s how it seems,” Father Murdock agreed. “Though I’ll admit, when I was in seminary, I never would have thought the Great Commission was _that_ extensive.”

Steve laughed again. “Well, it’s a new era, Father.”

“You would know,” the priest responded, then added: “And you’ll be sure to let me know if that situation ever stops being hypothetical. It would be fascinating to have an alien as one of our catechumens.”

**Author's Note:**

> Father Murdock might have to get in line, since [Pope Francis already expressed an interest in baptizing aliens](http://www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/1401934.htm).


End file.
